Be Creative and Curious!

"Creative and Curious" morning pages with textures from FlyPaper 

I'm really enjoying Christine Carter's Breaking the Habit Code eCourse!  I'm learning amazing things from the field of applied psychology, which up until now I have to admit I thought was all about the "dark side" of psychology.  Actually I still think it is, but if you get to know the techniques employed by the marketers and admen, you are less vulnerable to them.  AND of course you can use what they  have learned for your own benefit.

So the most bizarre thing I've learned is the mechanics behind why we tend to crash at some point after doing really well with our resolves and personal revolutions.  (Like if you've stuck to a diet, congratulated yourself heartily, and then got yourself a huge latte and brownie or something as a reward)  It's a strange rebound effect, highly documented that you might want to be aware of.  It's called the "licensing effect" which marketers are really seriously aware of and make use of, especially around the holidays.  Time Magazine had this to say:  

 In essence, the idea is that doing something that feels virtuous (like buying someone else a present) makes us feel unconsciously entitled to do something self-indulgent (like buy ourselves a present, which can then make us feel that we need to do something virtuous again, like buy someone else a present). ...the process can feed on itself in a steady loop of spending. 

It can put us in a wild debt spin, and it comes into play when we are trying to change self destructive habits. It is the reason we crash after doing really well with a new diet or exercise program.  So how do we avoid the "licensing effect" in our personal revolutions?  One way is to remain curious about everything that goes into having and keeping these personal resolves.  Also the idea of tiny rewards are good; easy de-stressing activities which allow us to take charge of our dopamine production.  So no stress and no "licensing effect."

If you want to know more about the "licensing effect" just click and read!   You will be surprised!